About Me:
My name is Michael Gwizdala and I live in Albany, N.Y. The Capitol of the Empire State. I'm probably the biggest most knowledgeable, opinionated sports fan I know. First and foremost I'm an avid, die-hard New York Yankees fan.
About Me:
My name is Michael Gwizdala and I live in Albany, N.Y. The Capitol of the Empire State. I'm probably the biggest most knowledgeable, opinionated sports fan I know. First and foremost I'm an avid, die-hard New York Yankees fan.
About Me:
My name is Michael Gwizdala and I live in Albany, N.Y. The Capitol of the Empire State. I'm probably the biggest most knowledgeable, opinionated sports fan I know. First and foremost I'm an avid, die-hard New York Yankees fan.
Drought is not a word any New Yorker would use to describe this Summer. And Alex Rodriguez after a prolonged homer-less streak of his own, made it rain once again in the Bronx. Sure there have been other walk off wins at the "new house" this season, but this 15 inning affair flanked by absolute brilliance and dominance on the mound in the heat of a pennant race, has to top them all thus far.
In what was an epic marathon and pitchers duel, it all started oddly enough with a lead off single by Jacoby Ellsbury. There wouldn't be many hits to follow off of that for quite a long while.
Duck hunting season was on as both squads stranded 40 combined on the pond. That first inning saw Ellsbury get to third with two outs and it was the closest Boston would come to home plate all night.
Both former Florida Marlins teammates Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett were sharp and equal to the task. Beckett went seven strong, striking out seven while only allowing four hits along the way. Burnett went 7 2/3 with six whiffs with Ellsbury's lead off single his only hit rendered.
Both bullpens were up to the task as well, sending the longest scoreless affair between these two clubs into the 15th. Each team barely missed some golden opportunities in the 14th, with Victor Martinez sending a towering blast to the track in right, hauled in by Eric Hinske. Then it was J.D. Drew returning the favor by going full extension robbing Hinske with two runners on.
However when it came to the 15th the Yanks were primed to make sure Boston wouldn't gain any ground once this weekend's quartet of games is over. Derek Jeter after an oh-fer six Friday night was thrilled to see the clock past mid-night and led off the inning with a single. Finally it was A-Rod and his 72 straight homer-less at-bats with two outs and Jeter on, crushing a Junichi Tazawa offering deep into the Sox pen, ensuring the Yanks fifth victory in a row, while sending the BoSox to their fourth straight loss.
So the Yankees now have the best record in the bigs at 67-42 and they and their MLB best home record of 37-17 are now 4 1/2 games up on the Red Sox, whose road record drops to 27-29. Additionally with the 2-0 win the Bombers have beaten the BoSox two in a row after the All-Star break.
Oh when the ball hits the sky and A.J. creams you with a pie, that's a walk off!
It was the summer of 1993, Fenway Park and my first Major League Baseball game. The Boston Red Sox were taking on the Oakland Athletics that day and Rickey Henderson was the first major league hitter I'd ever seen in person. Not too shabby.
This was long before any "Red Sox Nation," monster seats or sellout crowds being the norm (not that tickets were easy to come by) and "The Curse of the Bambino" was still intact. I still have my Red Sox hat and program from that day, pictures and memories as well.
Sitting out down the right-field line in Fenway Park gives one an immaculate view of the Green Monster, but it also leaves your neck craning left for the full nine, but I was nine and it was baseball and I didn't care. All I could think was this is so cool, this classic ballpark and there's Rickey and Dave Henderson (no relation) in the outfield, Mo Vaughn and Mike Greenwell slugging away, Dennis Eckersley, Goose Gossage and Ron Darling milling around in the bullpen and my younger brother spilled his soda right before the National Anthem (sorry Matt).
The game itself, well I was nine at the time so I can't give you every single intricate detail, but I do remember it was Todd Van Poppel vs. Danny Darwin and Rickey Henderson led off the game with a base hit. Rickey also scored the game's first run, but Rickey wasn't done after that.
In a seesaw slug-fest that Boston ended up winning 9-7, thanks to an exciting two run rally in the eighth keyed by Vaughn, Andre Dawson and Greenwell, it was a big night for Rickey.
Rickey homered twice off Darwin over the Monster and ended up going 3-4 with three runs scored, three RBI and a walk. After all that what didn't Rickey do? Oddly enough, steal a base. No it was more of a trotting kind of night for Henderson, who was one of the last remnants of an Oakland team that was once an AL power and had fallen by the wayside.
Of course at that time no one knew that Henderson would be traded to the Toronto Blue Jays to help them and himself capture a second championship. And in that ninth inning of game six of the 1993 World Series, Rickey coaxed a lead-off walk from Philadelphia Phillies closer Mitch Williams. It was Henderson's presence on the base-paths that caused Williams to pitch from the slide-step, something he hadn't done all season. Hence Williams slipped and Joe Carter ripped a walk-off HR.
One of the things I always loved about watching Rickey as a kid and trying to emulate was that he could beat you in so many different ways. Rickey had power and speed, a keen eye at the plate and uncanny instincts on the bases.
As a kid I remember you always wanted to be like Rickey, Rickey would always hit lead-off and what kid didn't want to bat first? Rickey could run like the wind and whenever I got on base I knew I was going to steal and score no matter what, just like Rickey did. Rickey was also the consummate winner, playing in two countries, every team along the West Coast not named the San Francisco Giants, both New York teams and even made a stop in Boston.
The man who once was 1990 AL MVP, even went so far as to suit up for the Independent League Newark Bears, because like him none of us wanted to give this grand old game up.
So congrats to Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice, Joe Gordon and Tony Kubek (who I grew up listening to on MSG Network) and thank you so much for the memories.
In the early 1990's when Rickey Henderson was back on the A's for only his second tour of duty at the time, the Yankees never could come close to beating Oakland. This season it looked as though New York would hold serve the entire season, until Saturday.
Saturday's action was tight in the early going with Andy Pettitte and Gio Gonzalez matching each other frame for frame. Pettitte retired the first ten A's batters, while Gonzalez no-hit the Yanks until the fifth when Melky Cabrera laid down a bunt single. Somewhere Bob Brenley was no doubt screaming "chicken sh*t," reminiscent of San Diego Padres catcher Ben Davis bunting on Arizona Diamondbacks starter Curt Schilling to break up his no-hit bid. But hey you try and get on any way you can, especially in a close game.
In the sixth there was finally some scoring as Brett Gardner, who had an excellent day in center defensively, tripled home Derek Jeter for the 1-0 lead.
That lead would be short-lived as everything unraveled in the seventh. Pettitte who made some nice defensive plays earlier in the game, couldn't knock down a shot back up the box by Rajai Davis which scored Scott Hairston to even things at 1-1.
With the bases loaded Alfredo Aceves was summoned from the pen. With two outs and an 0-2 count on .Landon Powell, Aceves delivered the same pitch to the same spot a big "no-no" and Powell deposited the pitch accordingly to left plating Nomar Garciaparra and Davis to give the A's a 3-1 edge.
Given the Yankees last loss was to the Angels, it was fitting that a couple of former Halos put on the finishing touches. Adam Kennedy singled home a run, while Orlando Cabrera who has been smoking the ball of late also roughed up Aceves with a two-run double to right center to cap off the six run seventh.
But the Yankees as they always seem to do made some noise in their half of the eighth, trying to keep their steak alive. After a pinch hit single from Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter slammed a two-run homer to right, cutting the lead in half. Then it was Mark Teixeira doing his own solo act, hitting his league leading 25th bomb on the season to make it 6-4.
Oakland closer Andrew Bailey, second among MLB relievers only to the Dodgers Jonathan Broxton in K's was summoned for a four out save, taking over for Michael Wuertz. Robinson Cano almost took Bailey yard, but it was on to the ninth.
Brian Bruney's outing in the top of the ninth was a silver-lining for the Yanks as they tried to rally off Bailey once again.
Bailey began the ninth with successive walks to Melky Cabrera and pinch hitter Johnny Damon. Then inexplicably after those two straight free passes, Posada swings at the first pitch and fouls it off, cuts a the second pitch in the dirt and misses, then Posada ends up grounding into a killer double-play.
So with two outs and Cabrera on third, Jeter served as the tying run. The captain sent out a deep drive to right center, but there would be no ninth win in a row after this ninth inning.
As the Black Eyed Peas song goes, post All-Star break these New York Yankees are so 2008. That's because with their eighth straight victory in an 8-3 win over the Oakland Athletics, they've matched their streak from last season's second half start.
Down 1-0 early as Orlando Cabrera scored on a sac fly after he'd doubled and stolen third off Joba Chamberlain, it didn't take long for the Yanks to settle down.
While Brett Anderson started off much like Vin Mazzaro with seven K's, New York jumped on him early too, getting two back in the third.
Derek Jeter got the Yanks on the board with a single to right. Jeter was 3-5 on the night with two RBI.
Also with having a big night at the plate, former A's outfielder Johnny Damon had three RBI himself. Meanwhile Melky Cabrera picked up three hits as the bottom of the order between he, Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher scored two runs each.
The biggest plus though has been the bounce back of Joba Chamberlain. With some athletes you can't take away that natural raw emotion and it finally looks like Joba has that swagger back. With the talk of recent days being centered around Chamberlain's innings limit, the young hurler only seems to be getting much stronger and more economical, throwing seven innings at 100 pitches.
Joba also picked up six K's en route to his sixth win on the season, following up his gem from Sunday against Detroit in which he picked up eight punch outs.
Not to be lost in the shuffle was Phil Coke, who picked up Chamberlain in the eighth to get the Yanks out of a jam.
That in-turn set up a huge bottom frame for the Bombers as Jorge Posada got it going, launching an absolute moon shot to left, his 13th on the season and first from the right side since Opening Day at the Stadium. The Yankees capped off the crazy inning by scoring four runs while batting around, putting themselves up on the A's 8-1.
Oakland would come back with two in the top half of the ninth, but it wasn't nearly enough to top the American League's best squad from jumping to 22 games over .500 at 59-37.
So the Yankees will go for nine in a row Saturday, with as Fergie would put it, the rest of the league trying to copy their swagger.
Well it only took about four months plus a two hour and 45 minute rain delay, but the New York Yankees have finally swept the Oakland Athletics, winning 6-3 in the Bronx. While the Yankees embark on three more games with the A's this weekend, their makeup contest results from a rain-out on April 20th in a series where the Yanks took the latter two games of the set. So hence the Yankees roll on to their 7th straight victory out of the break.
Oakland brought its "A game" in the early going, after scoring 32 runs in three games against the Minnesota Twins, they touched up CC Sabathia early. In the 2nd it was a Jack Cust sac fly, followed by an RBI single from Bobby Crosby that gave the A's the early edge.
By the 4th another RBI single from Kurt Suzuki, coupled with Vin Mazzaro's seven K's, it appeared that an already long night might get even longer as Oakland jumped out to a 3-0 lead.
But the bottom half of the 4th told a different story. Former A's outfielder Johnny Damon got it started with a base knock. Then Mark Teixeira continued his power streak, driving a 3-0 pitch into deep right erasing Oakland's 3-0 lead for his 24th on the year. Jorge Posada who also continues to rake, doubled in A-Rod for the 2nd consecutive game to square things at 3-3. Capping off the rally to give the Yanks the lead for good was former A's farmhand Eric Hinske with a run scoring single, making it 4-3 Yanks.
The Yanks would strike again for two more in the 5th, once again compliments of Teixeira and Posada who eventually chased Mazzaro from the game, making it 6-3.
From there Sabathia and the Yanks defense put it in cruise control. Sabathia once again went seven strong with four K's and zero walks on 109 pitches, netting his team leading 10th win on the season.
Speaking of that defense, Robinson Cano made some absolute gems, from ranging in the hole to running down a ball in shallow right that made for a spectacular show.
And while the Yanks didn't call on Mo to finish it out, Phil Hughes played the role of Mr. 1996 once again blanking the A's for two innings, locking down his first career save. For Hughes, he has been lights out, not allowing a run in his last 15 outings covering 22 innings of scoreless baseball.
With that win the Yanks improve to 58-37, 21 games over .500 and now 2 1/2 up on Boston for the best record in the AL and the Eastern Division. One young phenom passes the torch to another as Joba Chamberlain takes to the mound coming off an eight strikeout performance against the Tigers, hoping to give the Yanks their 8th straight win on Friday.
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